john214

Hugh12 - You are wrong, less than 20% of the Michigan Prison Population are serving time for drug crimes.

In Michigan, possession of any amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor that carries a $2,000 fine and a maximum of a year in jail. Actually smoking marijuana (a separate crime) in any location, including your house, is also a misdemeanor, but will only get you 90 days in jail and a $100 fine. However, conditional discharge is available in all use and possession cases, which means that the judge has wide discretion to use alternative sentencing (rehab, community service, etc...) for first time offenders. Usually, conditional release lets a person opt for probation rather than trial. After successfully completing probation, the individual's criminal record does not reflect the charge.

The idea that the prisons are filled with those arrested for possession is simply wrong and an urban legend the uninformed continue to repeat.

revsup - I have rarely found anyone with as negative attitude as yours. In reading your previous posts, you hate your job, hate the food in most restaurants, probably hate the kids that walk on your lawn.

Two years ago, a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled that the government-sponsored National Day of Prayer violated the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing religion. After an appeal from President Barack Obama's administration, a higher court reversed the decision last year and ruled that the government proclamation did not require anyone's participation.

Looks like you and Tommy are wrong on the constitutionality of the Day of Prayer.

IHateCountryMusic - Having the organizers state publicly that it is open to all faiths and religions is not good enough for you. You still feel compelled to add a snarky remark. You might take a moment to determine why you have such a fear or hatred towards Christians.

I was raised to believe we are all created equal, I had the opportunity to become wealthy through hard work and innovation. We are now faced with an administration that has engaged in class warfare. Politicians and their accomplices in the media throw out phrases demonizing those who, through hard work and in some cases, good fortune became wealthy. We are on the road to socialism, the government is trying to place everyone on equal footing, but their redistribution of wealth is more like a modern day Robin Hood.

We have a segment of the population who look to the government to hand to them the the success they do not have nor are willing to put forth the effort necessary to achieve it. When the government can no longer support them, they will be forced to provide for themselves. For those unable to help themselves, there are other ways to help those that really cannot help themselves.

Any story involving religion, brings forth the usual posters who seem to suffer from acute theophobia and feel compelled to exhibit their disorder in print. They want their atheistic beliefs to be true and are troubled when intelligent and well informed people are believers. Having to choose between their beliefs and those of Sir Issaac Newton, founder of Classical Physics and Infinitesimal Calculus is not a difficult. Newton said:

"God made and governs the world invisibly, and has commanded us to love and worship him, and no other God; to honor our parents and masters, and love our neighbours as ourselves; and to be temperate, just, and peaceable, and to be merciful even to brute beasts. And by the same power by which he gave life at first to every species of animals, he is able to revive the dead, and has revived Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who has gone into the heavens to receive a kingdom, and prepare a place for us, and is next in dignity to God, and may be worshipped as the Lamb of God, and has sent the Holy Ghost to comfort us in his absence, and will at length return and reign over us.”

To those who believe they have a superior intellect to Newton and are comfortable in their beliefs, I say, you are entitled to your beliefs, but do not assume that those who disagree are of less intelligence or intellect.

Your post was partisan in nature. Most complaints posted regarding money in politics seem to disregard the record amount of money raised by the democrats in 2008. If you remember, in February 2007, Barack Obama challenged Republican presidential candidates to agree to public financing of the general election. McCain agreed then Obama reneged on his promise and raised a record amount of private money.

The price of grapes in Toledo is a reflection in part on the price of oil as transportation costs are a factor in retail price. The cost of oil is a reflection on the weakness in the dollar because oil id demoninated in dollars and in the face of a declining dollar, with the relative price of oil being set in equilibrium, the dollar price of oil must rise.

The dollar is weak due to deficits and excessive debt which explains why recovery is so weak and why trillions of dollars remain sidelined. Excessive debt and deficits are the result of Obama being President and he is President because he raised so much money. Ergo, this is all his fault.

Just as some can blame all bad things on republicans, some can do the same to democrats.

Stop robberies, enjoy safe streets (STRESS) worked. Using police officers as decoys resulted in a 20 percent reduction of crime. Because 17 thugs were killed by officers posing as victims who also were armed, the public pressured Coleman Young to disband the only effective means to stop armed robberies.

One does not abuse their legislative position by introducing legislation. Hundreds of bills are introduced each session. Continuing to utilize the recall provision for trivial reasons will bring about a constitutional amendment that will restrict the ability to recall officials when truly appropriate.

Congratulations on your one year anniversary. I smoked for 50 years and quit cold turkey 5 years ago, the day I walked in for a knee replacement. It is not easy, but I have never regretted it. I wish Firekeepers would make half the casino non-smoking, but as long as 65% (my estimation) of their clientele are smokers, I do not see that happening.

kwhit - Are you aware the Supreme Court and Congress begin their sessions with prayer? Are they proper places in you estimation. Know of what you speak before you post. FYI - They have chosen to participate, they have not forced you to take part.

You leave out the third option, allowing two would be parents with the financial means, emotional maturity and with love in their hearts to raise the child. Single mothers are not doing their offspring any favors by keeping them when they are not equipped to do so in a responsible manner.

One of the strangest sights I have encountered crossing the bridge, was at about 3:30 A.M. apparently seagulls roost on the bridge pavement at night, as the beam from my headlights would hit the birds, they would take flight, but only those hit by the lights, consequently as I proceeded, it was a constant flight of birds for about a half mile, almost like a reverse snow storm.